“I truly think that we’re blessed here in Colorado from Douglas County down to El Paso, Colorado Springs, even Denver,” said Deputy Thomas Thorpe, with the reserve unit for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.

All showed up to donate blood in honor of a Douglas County sheriff’s detective.

“When something like this tragedy occurs, it brings us all closer together and forms a bond, and we do everything we can to help support one another,” Larry Herbert, spokesman for CSPD, said.

Detective Dan Brite was critically wounded in a shootout in Parker last month when a man in an RV fired at deputies.

That suspect was later shot and killed by another deputy.

“When you start going across the state to all the different municipalities or the counties, anybody in blue is a brother or sister in law enforcement. So anytime anything happens to any one of us across the country, it touches each one of us personally,” Thorpe said.

While several had made appointments for the blood drive, many were walk-ins.

“It’s replenishing the blood supply so there is a stockpile of blood, obviously that Dan needed right away. And while this is giving more people the opportunity that something heaven forbid happens again, there is a supply that can be given immediately, and that’s what so important about these blood drives,” Thorpe said.

Brite is in the beginning stages of recovery at a rehabilitation center.

According to the Bonfils Blood Center, more than 400 people have donated in honor of Brite since early September.

If you’d like to donate, you can stop at the Bonfils Blood Center at Academy and Austin Bluffs and mention Detective Dan Brite when registering.